Maha firing unfortunate: Ravi Shankar

Spiritual leader and founder of 'The Art of Living' Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Wednesday criticised the police firing incident on a crowd of agitating farmland activists in Maharashtra.

"It is unfortunate what has happened to farmers on Diwali eve in Maharashtra. I wish a satisfactory solution is reached without further delay," Ravi Shankar said in a statement.

A farmer was killed when police opened fire on a crowd of agitating farmland activists in Vasgade village in Sangli district of Maharashtra on Monday.

Another farmer was also killed when a truck ran over him during an agitation in Kolhapur.

Meanwhile, fresh violence were reported from the state on Wednesday as protesting sugarcane farmers clashed with the police in Kolhapur district of the state.

The police resorted to lathi-charge after protesters, who were staging a road blockade, pelted stones at them, reports said.

The protesters also torched a police van.

According to reports, the representatives of the farmers, who met Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday, are like to meet on Wednesday to decide the future strategy.

Chavan urged them to cancel the protests and not to resort to violence.

The leader of the delegation, however, called the meeting with the CM inconclusive.

The agitating farmers, who have been pressing for a rise in the minimum support price (MSP) of sugarcane, have been protesting against the arrest of MP and chief of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana Raju Shetty.

The ongoing agitation began last week took a violent turn on Monday when police arrested two prominent leaders of the agitation.

Shetty, who served as the leader of the farmers, and his close associate, Sada Khot were arrested on Monday from Indapur.

They were as they announced a statewide move to block all major roads and highways to press for their demands.

Among other things, the protesters demand a minimum support price of Rs 3,000 for sugarcane growers.